Feather-renovator



Patented Ian'. 3l, |899.

`w. w. G. REED. FEATHER RENOVATOR.

(Application led Nov. 16, 1897.)

(No Model.)

NTTE STATES WILLIAM VESLEY GEORGE REED, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FEATHER-RENOVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,481, dated January 31, 1899.

' Application filed November 16, 1897. Serial No. 658,758. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WESLEY GEORGE REED, a citizen of Canada, formerly of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, but now residing at Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feather-Renovators, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to afford more perfect means for rapidly and thoroughly cleansing feathers. l

Another object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the escape of dust or eiiiuvia into the room occupied by the operator of the machine.

Another object is to provide superior and more simple means for readily drying and The feathers are put into the machine from the tick and are discharged by the machine directly into the tick or ticks to be filled.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section of a machine embodying my invention. Line l l, Fig. 2, shows the line of section. The parts are shown in solid lines in the position they occupywhen the apparatus is in use for steaming the feathers. Dotted lines vindicate the position of parts at other stages of the operation. Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine with parts broken away to expose the interior construction. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail of a portion of the machine at the end of the fan-axle, showing the means for injecting a disinfectant into the fumigating-chamber. Fig 4f is an enlarged detail of the device for catching heavy obj ects which may be contained in the feathers.

A indicates the renovator-case, having a renovating-chamber a therein.

B indicates the fan inside the renovatingchamber. This arrangement is common in other feather-renovators and is not claimed as my invention. I

C indicates a .circular steam-inlet at one end of the case, arranged around the axle Z9 of the fan, so as todirect the steam into the chamber around the axis of the fan. O indicates a like circular steam-inlet at the other end of the case to vdirect a circular body or `jet or series of jets into the body of steam which issues from the inlet O at the other end of the machine. The blasts or jets of steam from these two circular inlets supply the steam to the chamber all around the axle of the fan, so that the steam expands outward from the center of the chamber and is also thrown outward by the revolving blades b of the fan, and thus the live steam is thoroughly distributed and mingled with the iiying feathers in the chamber, so that the feathers will be quickly and thoroughly saturated with steam. Steam inlet or inlets D D are arranged at the bottom of the chamber to direct a jet or jets of steam up into the body of steam from the circular inlets, thus increasing the agitation and producing a thorough mixing of the steam and feathers and the more complete saturatin g of the feathers with the steam. By the use of these four inlets C O' D D' the feathers Will be very quickly saturated and heated, so as to destroy all insect and germ life. j

The renovator is provided with suitable means for heating its chamber for drying the feathers.

E indicates steam heating-pipes in the hollow semicylindrieal bottom wall A of the case, and E indicates steam heating-pipes in the top of the case, and E indicates steam heating-pipes in the hollow walls 9 at the ends of the case.

E is the pipe for supplying steam to the heating-pipes E, E', and E.

The renovator is provided in the bottom with the cold-air inlet F (supplied through the cold-air flue F) and at the top with a hotair iiue G. A suitable door or shutter fis provided to close the inlet F, and a door or shutter g is provided to close the outlet g' from the chamber ct into the liue G. The screened cold-air inlet F is located at the lowest point, being the middle of the semicylindrical bottom wall or iioor A of the case,

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and extends in the form of a slot from end to end of said bottom wall, as indicated in Fig.

2 in solid and dotted lines. By this arrangement the cold air from the iue or shaft F' is introduced in a line along the middle of the mass of feathers in the renovating-chamber, so that in passing up through the chamber it will be distributed throughout the mass of feathers, thus rapidly and thoroughly cooling the same, and the heat will pass off through the hot-air flue G at the center of the top H of the case.

S indicates means for introducing a disinfectant into the steam to be blown through the inlet C at the end of the apparatus near the axis of the fan, so that such disinfectant will be thoroughly distributed from the middle of the chamber throughout the mass of iying feathers.

Above the closed top section a2 of the fumigating or renovating chamber a the case is provided with a hood H, and the hot-air flue G leads from this hood, and a passage is provided from the side of the chamber to the hood, as indicated at a h. A door ce" is provided to close the opening c.

1, 2, and 3 indicate screens for the open- -ings at F, a', and g. These screens prevent the feathers from flying out at said openings. Below the screened passage g', which leads from the renovating-chamber into the hood, I provide a down-retaining net I, which slides in grooves J, so that it can be drawn down and taken ont at the door or opening a. The object of this is to catch any down which otherwise might be driven up through the screened passage g and to allow the down to be removed from the machine.

K indicates a feather-discharging spout extending along the side of the case and opening from a slot 7o', extending horizontally from end to end of the side of the case and provided with a number of mouthpieces 7s and inside the spout with a number of plungers, a separate plunger L being provided for each mouthpiece.

M indicates a slide-door which closes the slot 7D" from which the spout opens.

N indicates a receptacle opening through the side of the case, below the horizontal midplane thereof, to catch any heavy materials, lumps or mats of feathers, or other material which may be in the charge of feathers which is being treated. n indicates a screen, and n a door for closing the said opening. The receptacle N will hold the heavy materials, lumps or mats of feathers, or pieces of quills and prevent them from resting upon the screen 1 of the air-inlet F.

O indicates a telescoping blower spout or nozzle for delivering air under pressure into the fumigating-chamber opposite the spout K, thus to assist in blowing the feathers out of the machine into said spout.

P indicates a door opening through the top of the hood. Q indicates a screened opening beneath said door and communicating between the hood and the case. q indicates a screen for such opening, and q indicates a door for closing said screened opening. The screen q is hinged to swing as a door, and the door q is hinged to the screen.

Ris an extension of the hood H and extends beyond the opening 7L and is supplemented by the side wings r to direct up into the hood through the opening 72, the dust and efliuvia which pass from the feathers during the drying of the feathers.

In practice the operation of fumigating a charge of feathers is as follows: The operator will iirst raise the doors P, q', and q and put the charge of feathers into the chamber a through the opening Q. The doors q, q', and g are then closed, thus closing the top of the chamber a. All the other doors and slides P, ct, n", j', and 7s will also be closed, so that the case is practically steam-tight, and is provided above its top with an insulatingchamber formed by the air-space between its top and the hood. Then steam will be turned on through the inlets C C and also through the steam-inlets D D', and at the same time with the admission l of the steam the fan B will be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow. The steam thrown into the chamber by the several inlets will be thoroughly commingled with the feathers to saturate them, and this operation willbe continued for about fifteen minutes, more or less, the fan being driven meanwhile. S is a glass window through which the operator can view the operation. By pressing his hand upon the glass window S, which is let into the rear side of the chan1ber,he can tell by the temperature when the feathers have been heated sufliciently. The machine may be supplied with a thermometer T, so as to accurately indicate the temperature of the interior of the chamber. The heat in the chamber should rise to about the temperature of boiling water. If it is desired to treat the feathers with a disinfectant, this can be readily applied by introducing it through the disinfectant-cup S and pipe U and into the path of the steam-jet, so that the disinfectant will be blown into the chamber by the jet of steam. When the feathers have been sufficiently heated and saturated with steam, the steam will be turned off and the doors g, q', a", n', and fwill be opened and steam will be turned on through the pipe E'" to heat the chamber with a dry heat from such steam. Then the fan is rapidly rotated, and the air entering from outside the building through the flue F and passing up through the machine and out through the hot-air flue will readily carry off the dust and eiiuvia up through the iiue G, thus thoroughly drying and cooling the feathers by the application of fresh pure cool air without the use of any external fans or blowers. V indicates an exhaust and drip pipe to carry off the exhaust from the heating-ppes. Vhen the feathers are thoroughly dried, the steam is turned of and the fan operated and the cold air ascends ICO IIO

through the fine F', and the feathers are thus perfectly cooled. Any down which might be carried up by the directcurrent of air through the screen 3 will be caught by the down-net l, and any heavy material-such as mats of feathers,&c.-Will be thrown upward and outward by the arms of the fan and will lodge in the receptacle N. Thescreened opening allows the air to pass through the receptacle N and thus facilitates the depositing of substances, such as matted feathers, quills, &c. 4When the feathers are fully cooled, the fan will be stopped, and the wire-door netting n will be opened, and the contents of the receptacle N will be removed by hand. Then the blower-nozzle O will be brought t0 the opening or mouth of the receptacle N. The tick or ticks will then be applied to the spout K. The slide M will then be drawn fout, the fan and blower be set into operation, and the feathers be thereby blown into the spout and thence into the tick or ticks. Vhen the tick or ticks have been filled to the mouth, the plungers L will be brought into operation to ram the feathers down into the tick or ticks, as the case may be. In the case of pillows a separate tick will be fastened to each of the separate spouts. Hooks it" are provided for fastening the tick or ticks to the spout.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l.. The combination of the renovator-case; the fan inside the case a circular steam-inlet at one end of the case to direct the steaminto the case in a circle around the axis of the fan and a like inlet at the other end of the case to direct a circular body of steam into the body of steam which issues from the inletat the other end of the machine.

2. A feather-renovator having within its chamber a fan and being provided with circular steam-inlets at its ends to direct the steam into the chamber from each end in a circle around the axis of the fan; and a steam inlet or inlets arranged at the bottom of the chamber to direct a jet or jets of steam up into the body of steam from the circular inlets.

3. The combination vof the case provided with the fumigating-chamber having a top section and also having a semicylindrical bottom with a longitudinal screened slot at the lowermost part thereof to form a cold-air inlet into the renovator-chamber; and above said top section a hood with a hot-air ue leading from the hood, passages being provided from said chamber through said top section to said hood; means for closing said passages; a cold-air shaft for conducting external cold air to said slot; a fan within the chamber; a circular steam-inlet at one end of the case to direct the steam into the case in a circle around the axis of the fan; and a like inlet at the other end of the case to direct a circular body of steam into the body of steam which issues from the inlet at the other end of the machine; a disinfectant-reservoir; and a valved pipe leading from said reservoir and opening into one of the steam-supply pipes substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the renovator-case provided with hollow walls andV steam-pipes inside said walls at top, bottom, end and side walls for heating said case; a fan inside the case; a circular steam-inlet at one end of the case to direct steam into the case in a circle around the axis of the fan; alike inlet at the other end of the case to direct acircularbody of steam into the body of steam which issues from the inlet at the other end of the machine; a reservoir for a disinfectant; and a valved pipe leading from said reservoir into one of the steam-supply pipes substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the case provided with the fumigating-chamber having a top" section; and above such top section a hood with a hot-air iue leading from the hood, passages being provided from said chamber through said top section to said hood; and means for closing said passages.

G. The combination of the case having a fumigating-chamber therein and provided with a hood with a hot-air iiue leading from the hood; a screened passage being provided opening from the chamber into the hood and below such screened passage a down-retaining net.

7. In combination with the fan, a fumigating-case having at one side above the bottom of the case a receptacle for catching heavy articles which may be contained in the feathers; a movable screen and a door to form the outer wall of said receptacle.

WILLIAM WESLEY GEORGE REED.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TowNsEND, F. M. TowNsEND.

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